Career
Career with the Texas Tech University System
In 2010,Mitchell began his career in academic administration joining the Texas Tech University System as president [8] of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. During his tenure,Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso was established as a standalone institution in 2013,becoming the Texas Tech University System's fourth university. [9] Under his leadership,the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center University Center in Lubbock was expanded, [10] along with facilities expansions in Odessa,Amarillo,Abilene,and Dallas. [11]
On October 25,2018,the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents named Mitchell the fifth chancellor of the TTU System. [2] Following the appointment,he served in the dual role of TTU System chancellor and TTUHSC president for approximately one year,until Nov. 1,2019,when Lori Rice-Spearman,TTUHSC provost and chief academic officer,was named interim TTUHSC president. [12]
During his tenure as chancellor,Mitchell played a key role in expanding the TTU System’s geographic reach,academic offerings,and statewide impact with the addition of Midwestern State University,which became the fifth member institution on September 1,2021. [13]
Mitchell also supported the development and implementation of new professional schools within the Texas Tech University System. In 2019,a delegation led by Mitchell [14] urged the 86th Texas Legislature [15] to approve and fund a new Texas Tech University veterinary school [16] in Amarillo,Texas's first new veterinary school since 1916. [17] The vet school,focused on addressing critical shortages in rural and regional veterinary services,welcomed its inaugural class in August 2021. The initial cohort graduated in May 2025,with 97 percent passing the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination and a majority entering veterinary practice in underserved communities. [18] Additionally,in July 2021,the Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso opened as Texas’s first new dental school in over 50 years and the only dental school on the U.S.–Mexico border,addressing long-standing shortages of dental health professionals in the region. [19] Its first class graduated in May 2025 and secured successful residency matches. [20]
In 2023,Mitchell led the effort to have the 88th Texas Legislature create the Texas University Fund (TUF),an endowment designed to provide additional annual research dollars to universities not eligible for money from the Permanent University Fund (PUF) endowment. [21] This legislation was passed and signed by Governor Greg Abbott in June 2023. [22] Afterward,it required an additional step with a change to the Texas Constitution,which was successfully approved by Texas voters in November of that year.
In 2025,Mitchell led the effort to work with members of the 89th Texas Legislature to secure the Texas Tech University System’s largest budgetary success in its history,approximately $3.7 billion. [23]
During his tenure as Chancellor,the Texas Tech University System experienced record enrollment growth [24] ,academic success research success,budgetary success with the Texas Legislature,and philanthropic success,securing over $1.5 billion in support from donors.
Leadership
Mitchell emphasized leadership development as a key component of his administrative career,viewing leadership as both a learned skill set and an institutional responsibility. In internal communications and public speaking engagements,he frequently addressed leadership topics,including organizational culture,adaptive leadership,and the importance of values in complex decision-making. His leadership philosophy emphasized consistency,accountability,and the alignment of individual actions with the institutional mission and purpose. Throughout his tenure,he advanced a framework that connected organizational culture,personal responsibility,and professional growth across the Texas Tech University System.
Central to Mitchell’s leadership approach was the creation of a system-wide,values-based culture. He led efforts to identify a shared set of core values intended to guide decision-making,professional conduct,and organizational accountability. These values were adopted as a unifying framework for evaluating actions and expectations,fostering a culture of integrity,service,and responsibility throughout the entire system. [25]
He was also instrumental in creating and expanding the Office of Leader &Culture Development,first at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and later at the TTU System Administration,and other system universities. Through these efforts,Mitchell helped establish formal structures to enhance leadership skills among faculty,staff,administrators,and students. These offices aimed to promote a unified leadership philosophy across institutions while allowing flexibility to address individual campus needs.
Additionally,Mitchell supported the creation of multiple leadership and professional development initiatives across the Texas Tech University System. These programs emphasized problem-solving,critical thinking,ethical leadership,and character building and were designed to serve employees and students at various stages of their professional journeys. Overall,the initiatives reflected Mitchell’s belief that effective leadership is vital to institutional performance,individual development,and long-term organizational sustainability. [26]
